Last Week in the City: Trade fears re-emerge August 3, 2018 Garry White, chief investment commentator, looks at the market-moving events that have shaped the UK equity markets this week (30 July to 3 August 2018). Interest rates were raised in the UK for the second time since the financial crisis, but the move was widely expected. The earnings season continued. Growth in all regions was [...]
Editor’s Notes: The real threat to our democracy is the call for a second referendum, making new homes more popular and communism vs liberty August 3, 2018 There's a lot of talk around about “our democracy being under threat.” This alarmist claim is thrown around by people who are still fighting the Brexit referendum – many of whom are convinced that Leave only prevailed thanks to Russian disinformation, nefarious online campaigns and dodgy money. Guardian columnists, keyboard warriors and a handful of [...]
DEBATE: Should social media sites be regulated to combat fake news and safeguard democracy? | City A.M. July 31, 2018 Should social media sites be regulated to combat fake news and safeguard democracy? Jo Stevens, Labour MP and member of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, says YES. When we started our inquiry into fake news, we could not have predicted the sheer scale of what would be uncovered. We are facing a [...]
DEBATE: With slowing user growth, should investors be concerned about Facebook’s prospects? | City A.M. July 30, 2018 With slowing user growth, should investors be concerned about Facebook’s prospects? Jim Bowes, chief executive of digital experience agency Manifesto, says YES. Facebook was once seen as one of the biggest disruptors to enter the business world. By essentially turning its users into its workforce, Facebook became an enormous money-making machine. Through its interactions with [...]
Facebook to use AI to combat Russian interference ahead of US mid-term elections | City A.M. July 25, 2018 Social media giant Facebook has said it will start using artificial intelligence to fight people including Russian operatives who use false information to influence public opinion on its website. Speaking to media, the company said they were expecting there to be activity From Russian agents and other parties on the site ahead of the mid-term [...]
Facebook suspends another data analytics firm over surveillance concerns | City A.M. July 21, 2018 Tech giant Facebook has suspended another analytics firm during its own investigation into data sharing and collection on the social media platform. Crimson Hexagon, a US company offers “consumer insights” and works with government agencies around the world. The Wall Street Journal also reported that the firm had contracts “to analyse public Facebook data for [...]
Last Week in the City: August rate rise now less likely July 20, 2018 Garry White, chief investment commentator, looks at the market-moving events that have shaped the UK equity markets this week (16 to 20 July 2018). The chances of an interest rate rise at the Bank of England’s August meeting appeared to recede this week after inflation data was more subdued than expected and retail sales data [...]
Trump backtracks on comments regarding Russian election interference | City A.M. July 17, 2018 US President Donald Trump did a swift U-turn in a meeting with members of Congress this evening, saying that he misspoke when he yesterday rejected the findings of US intelligence agencies into Russia’s interference with the 2016 election. Trump said that he had meant to say he saw no reason why Russia wouldn’t be responsible [...]
Trump blames Mueller probe for poor Russia relations as critics slam him for Putin performance | City A.M. July 17, 2018 US President Donald Trump blamed the US investigation into Russian meddling at the 2016 presidential election for poor relations with Russia last night. Speaking to Fox News after his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump described the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller as a “phony wedge” and a “phony witch hunt”, adding [...]
Putin admits he wanted President Trump to win the US election, as Trump attacks the FBI investigation into alleged Russian interference | City A.M. July 16, 2018 After a one-on-one meeting today in Helsinki, Russian President Putin admitted that he was rooting for Trump to win the 2016 US election, while both men denied any foreign interference in the election’s outcome. “I wanted Trump to win because he spoke about normalising Russian relations,” Putin said in a post-meeting press conference. He added [...]